My 8 year old son has borderline/high functioning autism.He has the speech of a 4 year old and various sensory issues.His doctor siad a dog,especially a Lab,would be beneficial for him.Opinions?
Answers:
If it'll be beneficial, then by all means get one! Dogs are great and will make your son an awesome companion...:D
Sounds like a wonderful idea to me. My step daughter has Asbergers Syndrome and the dogs and cats just gravitate toward her. She is calm and cool around them and even speaks to them. She has learned some responsibility with them like changing litter, feeding and watering. I would say go for it.
I think a dog would help but i am just a dog lover
I work with a group that gives horseback riding lessons to kids with all kinds of disabilities. I've seen the tremendous differences the horses make to some of these kids. I was with one little boy who's autistic when he was riding. This little boy who never spoke, started singing when he was on his horse. I had another, older autistic boy who got so incredibly excited when we went outside and he got to trot.
So, yes, animals to make a difference to these kids, but you might want to look into getting a trained service dog. Not all dogs would react well to an autistic child, but I think the right dog would be great for your son.
What ever breed you look into I would suggest therapy dog training. It's been scientifically proven that petting a dog can reduce blood pressure and stress levels, release endorphines. etc. And giving the dog therapy training will help the dog better understand what your son needs. Plus it can help your sons friends with it's training.
Also if you have it certified as a companion/therapy dog you can move anywhere and if the landlord says no pets you can grandfather your dog in as necissary medical apparatus.
i have a lab. they are super affectionate dogs. love to be pet and loved. they are very intelligent and learn fast. i have to say labs are one of the best dogs I've had.
I would say yes, and I remember a recent tv series. In searching for the name of this, I found a newspaper article, explaining how a boys life was altered. http://express.lineone.net/posts/view/64...
But, you will also have the additional responsibility of a dog, with all the appropriate training and attention a dog needs as well as looking after your son. You could read through a few of the questions posted on this site, to get an idea of some of the potential problems, and talk to other dog owners. A puppy may make the biggest breakthrough with your son, especially if he is involved in training him/her, but why not think about adopting an older 'trained' dog? Don't just try the RSPCA, talk to the breed rescue sites as well. This may help you get an idea of the breed you would prefer. Labradors are great, but some can be boisterous. An additional consideration could be finance, not just the feeding, I've been chasing round for insurance today for my pet. I think a dog can make a fantastic contribution to any child's life, but it does need thinking about. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Our dog just follows my autistic son around
Before the dog, you had to tell my son exactly what you wanted from him - now he is getting quite good at taking hints from people as well as the dog.
He now gets that the dog is asking for a pat when she sits at his feet. Or that she wants to play when she jumps and bows.
The dog is a Welsh Collie. No special training. We had her since a pup. She seems to know to be gentler with my son than the others in the family.
Children with autism can be taught to focus on a service dog in situations of stress or sensory overload. These dogs can be obtained from organizations that train dogs for people with disabilities, including children with autism. The outcomes are usually very good.
Please note - this is not just giving your child a pet. This involves providing a dog that is trained to function with the child and the child is taught to focus on the dog. Check your local directory for agencies that provide service dogs.
Good luck.
I think it would be a great idea. My dog and i work with children with varying levels of additional learning needs and many of them are on the autistic spectrum. Our work makes a big difference to these children and they relate so well to the tactile nature of being with a dog. My dog is a black Lab and i would say that Labs would be particularly good for your son (but i'm a bit biased!).
You will have to do a lot of training and help your son to understand the puppy stage. Or look into adopting a Lab from a resuce centre. Dogs Trust in particular get many dogs as handovers from homes where circumstances have changed and they cannot care for their dogs any longer. Lots of dogs are there not because they are problem dogs, but through no fault of their own. I am big for rescuing but in your case it may be better to have a puppy and allow the dog to bond with your son from an early age. Select a reputable breeder in this case and particularly look at Labs from working lines.
I hope that this is really beneficial for your son, but do remember that a dog will place additional strain on your time. Although the dog is there to help, it is also important to consider and fully meet the dog's needs - training, vet care, grooming, feeding, at least two daily walks and general care etc.
If you want to know more about my work or any advice, please feel free to email. Good luck x
i have a 11 yr old autistic boy and a 10 yr old boy with adhd . my autistic son is high spectrum autistic and we have a 11 month old westie he loves the dog to bits and yes a lab would be the best dog as they are mild tempered and soppy with children but get a puppy that will grow with ur son
message me if you have other questions i help kids with autism and part of what i do is training the dog you can get a dog specially trained to be arounnd kids with autism or train it yourself id recomend not just gettting one and not doing anything it can creat problem with out haveing the right skills for it. you want to start and run your hand down the dogs legs on every leg every day untill its stoped getting adjitated by it this way it gets use to being touched funny with most kids with austism will do. make sure to touch everything like its food its bed so it gets use to that too it will help alot the dog will be prepared and ready to be handled by a child with autism hope this helps
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